Six system of Indian medicine are:
1. Ayurveda
2. Yoga
3. Unani
4. Siddha
5. Naturopathy and
6. Homeopathy.
1. Ayurveda:
Ayurveda is one of the traditional sytems. It is presumed that the fundamental and applied priciples of Ayurveda got organised and enunciated around 1500 BC. Atharvaveda, the last of the four great bodies of knowledge, known as Vedas, contains 114 hymns related to formulations for the treatment of different diseases.
Two major schools and eight specialisations got evolved from this body of knowledge. Those schools had their respective compilations, Charaka Samhita for the school of medicine and Sushruta Samhita for the school of surgery. The Ayurvedic practitioners recommend diet and lifestyle changes along with drug therapy.
The methods of ayurveda such as applying herbs and massage can simultaneously be applied along with other systems. Ayurveda stresses a balance of three elemental energies : (air and space “wind”, (fire and water – “bile” and (water and Earth – “phlegm”. According to ayurvedic medical theory, when these three substances exist in equal quantities, the body will be healthy. Ayurveda also focuses on exercise, yoga and meditation.
2. Yoga:
Yoga has been practised in India since thousands of years. It has references in Upanishads and Puranas composed by Aryans in the Vedic period. The main credit for systematising yoga goes to Patanjali who wrote ‘Yoga Sutra’ which is the most important and basic text on Yoga. Yoga is defined as an art of righteous living or an integrated system for the benefit of the body, mind and inner spirit.
3. Unani:
Unani medicine also means “Greek Medicine”, and is a form of traditional medicine widely practiced in South Asia. It refers to a tradition of Graeco – arabic medicine which is based on the teachings of Greek physician Hippocrates, and Roman physician Galen, and developed into an elaborate medical system by Arab and Persian physicians.
Unani medicine is based on the concept of the four senses of humor Phlegm, Blood, Yellow bile and Black bile. Unani medicine first arrived in India with establishment of Delhi Sultanate (120C – 1527 CE) and Muslim rule over North India and subsequently flourished under Mughal Empire.
4. Siddha:
‘Siddha’ comes from the word ‘Siddhi’ which means an object to attain perfection or heaven. Preference of people for natural health remedies is increasing and hence, Siddha has emerged as an important and unique system of Indian medicine. Siddhi is attained through meditation which cures mental illness and promotes mental, emotional and physical wellbeing.
5. Naturopathy:
Naturopathy heals with the power of nature as it assumes that all healing powers are within our body. It uses the inbuilt immune system of the human body for curing. Naturopathy regards that we fall ill only when we go against nature. An ailing body can purify and recover itself with thorough rest and fasting or having natural diet which helps in healing.
6. Homeopathy:
Homeopathy consists of two words – ‘Homeo’ meaning ‘similar’ and ‘Pathos’ meaning ‘suffering or treatment’. In this system, a drug and a disease that produce similar symptoms are believed to be having a nutralising effect on each other.
Thus, the homeopathic treatment is based on the symptoms, the body is showing and medication is given accordingly. It is popular among the people due to its remarkable healing capacity. Also, its remedies are free from side effects.
